Coating machine



J6 1932- c. F. WIELAND ET AL 1,352,837

COATING MACHINE Filed May28, 1928 A TTORNE YS.

Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES I. WIELAND AND RUSSELL HJHUBIBELL, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA; SAID WIELAND ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL PAINT CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEVADA Application filed May 28,

Our invention relates to machines for coating articles with a protective covering or wrapping and is in the same category as the pipe wrapplng machine disclosed in Wie-.

with the article being wrapped and a uniform finished product. Since it is highly ad vantageous that the coating be intimately related and adherent to the article and that it be uniform in thickness, we believe that the coating substance should be handled singly. This is further of benefit as a coating so applied not only forms an excellent foundation for a subsequent wrapper, but also is oftentimes suificient in itself and permits an overlying wrapper to be omitted. It is therefore an object of our invention to rovide means for applying the coating su stance separately and independently of the wrapping material. y

Another object of our invention is to insure that the coating material being applied to t e article is of the desired temperature.

Another object of our invention is to provide means for applying the coating material in a neat and economical manner.

The foregoing ahd other objects are attained in the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, in which I Fig. 1 shows a plpe wrapping machine of the type disclosed in the Wieland patent above mentioned when it is arranged in accordance'with our invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section thru the machine of F1 1 the plane of section being indicated Ty line 2- 2 of Fig. 1, and a portion of the article being wrapped being broken awa to disclose the mechanism.

F1 3 is a longitudinal section thru a modified orm of sling.

In its preferred form, our invention 1ncludes means for maintaining in a prede- COATING MACHINE 1928. Serial No. 281,054.

and 8 mounted on the body 9 of the pipe wrapping machine. The pipe extends thru a framework 11 supporting a vat 12, usually of sheet metal, for containing the coating for the article 6. Usually, this coating is of a bituminous nature or is a substance similar in characteristics to a bituminous material, While some coatings are expediently workable at ordinary atmospheric temperature and need no extraneous heating, others must be maintained in excess of normal atmospheric temperature to be sufiiciently liquid or plastic to be applied to the article. For that reason it is arranged that the material 13 in the vat 12 can be heated. Any suitable means, such as the steamcoils 14, is preferably installed in the vat.

Oustomarily arranged at one side of the vat 12 is a conveyor 16 capable of lifting the material 13 from the vat 12 to an elevated discharge spout 17. This spout is supported in a housing 18 which encloses the elevator and confines the liquid being transferred. The type of conveyor employed is related to the kind of material utilized, and for coatings of relatively light consistency a pump has advantages. The bucket conveyor shown'is well adapted to carry coatings having a silicious component. ny suitable means for driving the conveyor, such as a belt 19, can be provided. The spout 17 is preferably equipped with a regulating valve 21 for controlling the rate of efiiux of the coating material thru an outlet 22 of the proper contour to secure the desired discharge. Ordina'rily, the spout overlies a strip of wrapping Gil material, such as paper, which is being fed from a roll onto the rotating pipe 6, as illustrated in the Wieland patent mentioned.

In contradistinction to this method of interdependently associating the coating and wrapping materials, and thus applying the coating to the pipe indirectly, we provide a body 23 having a surface 24 in such relationship to the article 6 being wrapped that the coating material is restricted and confined in the desired manner totally without reference to any wrapping material.

Preferably, the body 23 is a strip or sheet of flexible material, such as canvas, or thin metal, and is supported to provide a sling underlying the article 6 being wrapped. If the material is conformable or flexible, it is preferably looped at one end, as at 26, to Surround a rod 27 passing thru supporting blocks 28 fastened to the housing 18. This form of mounting provides a hinge which permits free rotative movement between the sling 23 and the framework of which the housing 18 is a part. The other end of the sling is preferably also looped, as at 29, and is secured by shackles 31 to a through bar 32 extending between the arms of a yoke 33. The yoke is preferably movable vertically in order to adjust the relationship of the sling with respect to the pipe 6 to leave a par tially annular space therebetween. To the upper end of the yoke 33 is fastened a rod 34 passing thru a boss 36 projectin from a standard 37 forming a portion of t e framework 11. The upper end of the rod 34 is apertured and pinned to engage the slotted end of a lever 38 pivotally mounted and provided with a latching means 39 for maintaining it in adjusted position. A spring 41 is interposed between the boss 36 and the lever 38 and afiords some resiliency in the linkage. By suitably manipulating the lever 38, the sling 23 can be maintained in any adjusted relationship with respect to the pipe 6.

Although pains are taken to keep the coating in the vat 12 at a suitable temperature, there is inevitably some temperature drop as the material is carried thru the various conduits and as it is finally discharged thru the spout 22. This temperature drop also occurs in the usual type of pipe wrapping machine and is ordinarily considered disadvan tageous. We disclose in Fig. 3 a somewhat modified form of flexible sling 42 which is suitably suspended in the framework 11 and in addition to providing a surface 43 for the reception of coating material isalso provided with means for imparting heat to the coating material adjacent the sling. This heating means is conveniently an electric heating element 44, such as a resistance wire incorporated in the structure of the sling. The resistance wire is supplied with electricity thru the leads 46 connected with any suitable source of electromotive force. Other means,

such as a hollow sling thru which hot gases pass, can also be used for supplying heat to the coating undergoing application.

The coating material discharging from the spout 22 in an amount regulated by the valve 21 flows onto the sling 23 and is drawn around the pipe as the pipe rotates relative to the sling. There is thus insured an even thickness of coating material on the pipe and contact is made in such a manner that the coating material is not squeezed out appreciably between the conformable sling and the surface of the article being wrapped. The arcuate extent of the sling can be varied between wide limits and it is assumed will be varied in accordance with the particular conditions of operation. Substantially the same proportions disclosed in the drawing have been found in practice to afford admirable results. The Width of the sling is preferably just a little reater than the linear advance of the pipe or a single revolution in order that there may be a slight overlapping of the coating material. When the pipe has been precoated in this manner, it is often subsequently coated and wrapped with a suitable felted or woven reinforcing or armoring cover all of which is in accordance with the Wieland patent mentioned.

By the use of our machine, it is possible to apply a coating of uniform thickness, of uniform temperature and of the desired width easily and quickly to an article prior to wrapping thereof. Further, although we have disclosed our invention as used in connection with a wrapping machine, it is also applicable when no subsequent wrapping is applied to the article. In addition, the relative motion between the article being treated and the sling can be confined to pure rotation, or relative traversing movement can be secured by holding the article in a fixedlocation and translating the sling with respect thereto.

It is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the form of coating machine shown and described herein, as the invention as set forth in the following claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

We claim:

1. The herein described method of applying coating material to a pipe, including revolving the pipe in close proximity with a wiper positioned below the pipe and conformable thereto, and supplying the coating material to the wiper at the bottom of the pipe I whereby the material is uniformly spread by the wiper upon the pipe.

2. In a ipe coating machine, a framework, a sling of flexible material, means for rotatably supporting a pipe to be coated above said sling, separate means for supporting the edges of the sling at opposite sides of the pipe whereby the intermediate portion of the sling conforms to the pipe, and means for discharging a viscous fluid coating material upon the sling at only one side of the pipe, I whereby the sling functions as a wiper to dis-.

tribute the coating material.

3. In a pipe coating machine, a framework adapted to support a pipe for axial rotation,

a flexible sling, means for supporting said' terial upon said sling at one side of the pipe,

the support for said pipe being independent of the support for said sling.

4. In a pipe coating machine, a framework adapted-to support a pipe for axlal rotation, a flexible sheet-like sling, means for supporting said sling adjacent the under side of said pipe, said supporting means being connected to the edges of said sling at opposite sides of the pipe, whereby the intermediate portion of the sling conforms to only a portion of the periphery of the pipe adjacent the under side of the pipe, said supporting means likewise serving to'restrain said sling to effect a wiping action as the pipe rotates, and means for feeding lastic coating material between the upper side of said slmg and the lower side of said pipe. i

. 5. In a pipe coating machine, a framework adapted to support a pipe for axial rotation, a flexible sheet-like sling, means for supporting said sling adjacent the under sideof said pipe, said supporting means being connected to the edges of said-sling at opposite sides of said pipe, whereby the intermediate por tion of said sling conforms to a minor portion of the periphery of the pipe, said supporting means also serving to restrain said sling to efi'ect a wiping action as the pipe rotates,

heating means directly mounted upon the intermediate portion of said sling, and means for supplying plastic coating material between the upper side of said sling and the outer surface of the pipe.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

CHARLES F. WIELAND. RUSSELL H. HUBBELL. 

